The Best Ninjas Wear Glasses!

Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing the ninja costume and costume ninja swords for this feature.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I read somewhere once that the best ninjas wear glasses.  The reason that's so is because you never see any ninjas wearing glasses, so they must be the stealthiest ninjas of all!  That's what I told my son when he was worried about wearing his glasses with his ninja costume for Halloween.

This year, my son will be wearing the Ninja Fighter Leather Boys Halloween Costume from Oriental Trading Company's vast selection of Halloween costumes.  This is actually his second year dressing up as a ninja for Halloween because, for him, ninja costumes are the most comfortable costumes he's ever worn.  We lucked out that the hood from this costume allows him to comfortably wear his eyeglasses while out trick-or-treating.  It's important for him to be able to see where he's going after it gets dark.

Our son chose the Dragon Ninja Weapon Set to pair with his ninja costume.  I think he made the perfect choice for an accessory to complete his costume.  At first, I thought the shoulder straps would interfere with the shoulders of the faux leather vest, but it worked out just fine.  Most importantly, wearing the swords on his back was comfortable for my son.  The harness was not restrictive and he loved the idea of being hands-free during trick-or-treating.

Between my two boys, we've owned our fair share of ninja costumes.  This one is the best looking one by far because of the faux leather look and the detailing.  The vest, belt, arm and leg bracers make the costume.  Check out how we were able to incorporate the arm bracers into our son's Renaissance faire costume.

In addition to making cool-looking, comfortable Halloween costumes, ninja costumes are also perfect for everyday pretend play.  Oriental Trading Company has over 20 styles of kids ninja costumes for boys and girls, so there are lots of choices.  Going trick-or-treating as a family?  They offer ninja costumes for men and women too!

Check out all the fun costumes at Oriental Trading Company!  Which costumes do you think will be most popular this year?  Share your picks with us in a comment here.

Easy DIY Fairy Godmother Wand for Cinderella-Themed Halloween Costume

Thank you to Costume Express for providing the Cinderella Movie costume for this DIY Fairy Godmother magic wand craft feature.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our 8 year old daughter has such fond memories of going to see Disney's Cinderella Movie in the theater.  It was one of the few non-animated films she's watched on the big screen.  In my mind, there was no question who she wanted to dress up as for Halloween this year.  I was sure she'd want to be Cinderella, but she surprised me by opting for the beautiful Fairy Godmother instead.

What a lovely sight she turned out to be, covered head to toe in glitter.  The Disney Cinderella Movie: Deluxe Fairy Godmother Costume for Girls shimmers all over in glitter dusted satin and tulle.  We just added some glitter hair spray, pretty earrings, and sparkly sandals.  There was just one more thing we needed . . . a wand!

EASY CRAFT: DIY Fairy Godmother Wand

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

glow stick necklace (unbent)

silver crepe paper streamers

glitter washi tape (approx .6" wide)

white glitter

Mod Podge - Gloss Finish

sponge brush

scissors

wax paper

disposable plate

Step 1.  Begin wrapping the streamer (silver side facing out) around the glow stick tightly at an angle.  Use a little Mod Podge to keep the starting end in place, if necessary.

Step 2.  Leaving the top 5 inches or so uncovered, continue to wrap the streamer around the glow stick in as many layers as needed to create a rounded handle that tapers towards the uncovered tip.  When the handle is the desired shape and thickness, cut the end of the streamer at an angle (as shown below) and secure with a little Mod Podge.

Step 3.  Cover the papered portion of the wand in a layer of Mod Podge with a sponge brush and allow to dry completely on a sheet of wax paper.

TIP #1:  When applying the Mod Podge with the sponge brush, do so in a diagonal angle that follows the angle of paper wrapping.

Step 4.  When the Mod Podge has dried completely, wrap the glitter tape around the wand handle at an angle.  Be sure the space between each row of tape is uniform.  Again, leave the 5" at the tip of the glow stick uncovered.

Step 5.  Dip the uncovered tip into the Mod Podge, coating the tip of the wand up to the first 2 inches of wrapping.

TIP #2:  Be sure to hold the wand above the jar for a few seconds to allow any excess Mod Podge to drip back into the jar.

Step 6.  Hold the coated portion of the wand over a disposable plate.  Then sprinkle glitter over the coated portion, making sure to turn the wand to get complete coverage.

Step 7.  Cut a segment of silver paper streamer approximately 4" long.

Step 8.  Then cut the bottom 3 inches of the paper streamer segment to create a fringe (as shown below).  Then snip the end of each strand at alternating angles.

Step 9.  Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the backside of the uncut portion of the paper streamer segment.  Then wrap it around the very tip of the wand, holding it securely in place until it dries.

Step 10.  Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge over the entire wand, except for the fringe at the tip.  Allow to dry completely on a sheet of wax paper.

My daughter was very pleased with how her new Fairy Godmother wand turned out.  Although the wand does not compare to the exquisite details on the costume, I am pleased with the end result as well.  If you have not bent the glow stick during the crafting process, you should be able shake it and bend it to make the tip glow on Halloween night.

I think most Fairy Godmothers have big, bleached, side-swept hair styles, but our daughter's dark straight hair cannot do that.  Hopefully, everyone will overlook her hair when they see the stunning gown.  Any hair styling tips are welcome!

If you like this craft idea, Pin It for later . . . 

You can find the Disney Cinderella Movie: Deluxe Fairy Godmother Costume for Girls at Costume Express for $49.99.

Share your thoughts about this craft with us on Facebook!

Monster High Girls Costumes are the Perfect Choice for Your Little Fashionista for Halloween!

Thank you to CostumeSuperCenter.com for providing a girls Monster High costume for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Ever since our 7 year old daughter owned her first Monster High doll, she has been a little bit obsessed with these edgy fashion dolls.  It was definitely no surprise when she told me that she wanted to dress up as the young, stylish vampire, Draculaura, for Halloween.  Draculaura is one of her favorite Monster High characters because of her edgy, but feminine style.  Oh, and let's not forget about the pink streaked hair and heart tattoo on her cheek!  What's not to love?

Our little Draculaura usually wears a girls size 7 and this Girl's Draculaura Sweet 1600 Monster High Deluxe Costume in size Medium fits her perfectly.  The dress actually zips up in the back, rather than the Velcro closure you'd normally expect in a child's costume.  The dress has a gathered pouf skirt and is styled very well.  The included lace capelet adds a feminine touch, although you might consider adding something like a brooch to hide the Velcro closure at the neck.

One of the reasons my daughter and I liked this costume is because of the long wig with pink streaks that was included.  Draculaura's hair is one of her trademarks.  Although the wig is fun and adds quite a lot to the look of the costume, it took a little work on my part to make it work for us.  I had to keep the hair that was pulled back in place with a large barrette because it comes gathered into two layers with elastics.  I also had to cut the bangs (there's a reason why I'm not a hairdresser) because they went all the way down to the tip of my daughter's nose.  As expected, you will need to use hair pins to keep the wig in place, otherwise it is likely to slide backwards if the wearer should look upward.  Also, after about 20 minutes, my daughter started to find the wig to be a little itchy.  Since my daughter already has long dark hair, I am considering just painting pink streaks in her own hair on Halloween.

Some ideas for completing your Draculaura costume . . . 

1.  Add some gems or glitter to the included headband tiara to give it a bit more glam.

2.  Add a brooch to cover the Velcro closure of the lace capelet.

3.  Add opera length gloves if you think it will be chilly on Halloween night.

4.  Add a heart on the cheek with a tattoo or a face painting pen.  (We used a sticker, but I don't think it would stay on securely throughout an evening of trick-or-treating.)

5.  Add some sparkly bracelets to each arm.

6.  Although Draculaura would likely wear heels, I think any black glitter flats or boots would look cute with this party dress.

7.  Don't forget to add vampire teeth! (We bought some, but they were a bit too large for our daughter to wear comfortably.)

What other fun ideas can you come up with to complete this Monster High costume?

A Dragon Warrior Ninja Costume for Our Ninja-Obsessed Son

Thank you to Halloween Adventure for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

While much of the nation is currently obsessed with zombies, our 9 year old son is obsessed with ninjas.  He even has several ninja-themed t-shirts to prove it.  In fact, he told me he wanted to dress up as ninja for this Halloween while he was taking off his Star Wars costume last Halloween.

When I started looking for a ninja costume for our son over the summer, I could not believe how many different varieties there were.  There were some that were all black, which I believe our son needed if he wanted to be truly stealthy and undetectable, and some that were brightly colored, which were very un-ninja-like if you ask me.  My son was partial to one ninja costume we saw that was trimmed in bright (almost neon) red.  Luckily, we found this Dragon Warrior Ninja Costume at Halloween Adventure that we both liked.

The gold accented "armor" on this costume was ornate enough to please my son and subtle enough to satisfy me.  It turned out to be extremely comfortable to wear.  He did not mind the plastic mask, which fits seamlessly over the hood of the jumpsuit and the foam armor was very lightweight.  I had ordered a Size Large and everything fit well, except the inseam was a bit long for my son.  I fixed this easily by pulling the jumpsuit up at the waist, securing it with paperclips, and hiding the extra fabric under the belt.  Our son also said that the opening of the hood that went around the top of his head and under his chin was very snug, but he insists that it is wearable since the fabric has some give to it.

Since none were included, we added our own ninja gloves and ninja sword to the costume.  When we went outside to take a few photos, several of the neighbor's children told our son how cool his costume was, which pleased our son immensely.  He cannot wait to wear this ninja costume trick-or-treating this year!

This Children's Dragon Warrior Ninja Costume sells for $24.99 on HalloweenAdventure.com, but you can currently save an additional 20% off all their costumes with the promo code SPOOKY20.

Silly Monkey Stories: A Werewolf and a Fly

I had neglected to share a Halloween photo last week, partially because we've been busy and partially because I've had the worst cough ever going on 4 weeks now.  There was another reason I had not shared the photo . . .

The children were so excited that it was not raining here after Hurricane Sandy's visit just two days before.  They all had a few costumes to choose from and they chose their very favorites to wear.  The children held off on trick-or-treating long enough for me to snap just a small handful of photos.  I was anxious to see how they turned out, so I loaded them onto my laptop to take a better look.  That was when I realized that our little werewolf's fly was open in every photo!

I was debating with myself about whether I should post a photo of our son that could be potentially embarrassing in the future . . . You know, like when he becomes President of the United States.  So, I talked it over with myself and decided to post it anyways.

Click here to read all our Silly Monkey Stories!

Getting Ready for #Halloween with Party City Decorations and Kids Costumes

There's a week and a half left until Halloween and I am happy to report that we are all ready for the holiday.  Our decorations are up, we have cool goodie bags to hand out to the trick-or-treaters, and our children have settled on their costumes.

Last year for Halloween, we had put luminaries in the windows.  This year, we wanted to do something fun and slightly spooky, but not so spooky that the young children in the neighborhood would be scared by the decorations.  I ended up choosing two items from Party City for the door and two more for the window.  On the door, we have the 17" Vacuform Keep Out Sign (only $.99) and the 34" Shackles on Chain (for $4.99), which are actually a costume prop.  In our window, we made a display with a 21" Small Fabric Ghost (only $2.99) and a 12' Metal Link Chain.  If you have a ghost, you have to have chains for it to rattle, right?

We have 30 Magic Wand Goodie Bags waiting to be handed out to the trick-or-treaters.  We made those using Wizard of Waverly Wands ($2 per 4pk), Spider Party Bags ($1.99 per 15pk), Spider Rings ($1.29 per 30pk), and the Charms Candy Carnival Assortment ($9.99 for approx. 150pcs).  You can find the instructions for making them here.  I do want to note that, although the description for the bag of candy says "approximately 150 pieces of candy", there were really only about 100 pieces.  I used 3 pieces in each of the 30 goodie bags and only had just less than 10 pieces leftover.

We were also sent the Party City Exclusive Boys Brave Crusader Costume along with another mass market crusader costume.  When it came time for the boys to choose which costume they wanted to wear to King Richard's Faire earlier this month, they immediately chose the Party City costume.  It really was not a tough choice because that costume had so much more detail, such as a cape, gauntlets, structured boot coverings, and a sash.  My only complaint is about the gauntlets.  The same size gauntlets came with both the size Medium and the size Large costumes, so the fingers were far too long for our 5-1/2 year old son.  Also, part of the seam on one of the fingers started to come apart on our 8-1/2 year old's glove, but I was able to repair it after the fair.

Here are the boys in the mass market costumes.  Their first complaint was that the extremely large paper tags inside were itchy, so we had to remove them right away.  Aside from being a little long, the costume looks okay on our 5-1/2 year old son, but it just does not look tailored.  A huge problem we came across was that the hood and the boot coverings were the same size in both costume sizes, except this time they were both the smaller size.  Our 8-1/2 year old could barely get the hood on and it was uncomfortably tight.  The boot coverings only covered 2/3 of his shoes and kept falling down because they are unstructured.

We also received a Girls Deluxe Rainbow Fairy Costume (also a Party City Exclusive) plus a mass market version for our daughter.  Again, the Party City costume was far more detailed and included sequined-trimmed wings that attached with Velcro, sequin trim on the attached tulle tutu, leg warmers, arm puffs, and a headband.  This costume seemed to run a little large compared to other costumes.  The elastic on the arm puffs were not tight enough to stay up on their own on my daughter's upper arms.  I ended up pulling them over her shoulders instead.  I also had to bring the straps together at the back of the costume because the bodice was sitting too low on her.  I should mention that this costume is a dress and does not have a built-in leotard.  I really thought that the tulle trim on the neckline and the tulle arm puffs would irritate my daughter's skin, but she said that they were not itchy at all.  I do wish that this costume came with a matching wand because the colors and look of this costume are pretty specific.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

The mass market rainbow fairy costume was sized for 3 to 5 year old girls.  My daughter would not have been able to fit into it if she was a half an inch taller or wider.  This costume is a leotard style and also does not come with a wand.  Our daughter actually liked the look of this costume better because it is wispy and had flowers and gems on it.  The other one is more bold and modern.  The mass market costume came with a separate pair of fairy wings that hooked around her shoulders with elasticized straps.  I could not for the life of me get the wings to sit straight.  They kept tipping no matter how I tried to bend them to balance them out.  Quality-wise the Party City costume is better hands down, but our daughter preferred the softer look of the other costume.  Personally, I think the Party City costume is perfect for Halloween and the mass market costume would be more practical for dressing up during pretend play.

What do you have left to do to get ready for Halloween?  Checkout the party supplies, decorations, and costumes at your local Party City store and on www.PartyCity.com, who is now offering 25% off all Halloween merchandise plus Free 3-Day on orders of $60 or more.


Thank you to Party City for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.

Scary Child's Werewolf Halloween Costume

Our 5-1/2 year old son is crazy about action figures, so I was sure when given the choice that he would choose The Hulk or GI Joe for a possible Halloween costume.  Instead, he chose this Howling At The Moon Werewolf Child Costume out of the hundreds of costumes for boys on BuyCostumes.com.  We looked at all the child werewolf costumes and thought that this one looked the most realistic.  I also thought it would be a nice change for our son to be able to wear his own jeans and sneakers as part of his costume.

To go along with the costume, I had also requested a Black Makeup Stick to darken the area around our son's eyes.  The stick is very inexpensive, but made a huge difference in how the costume ultimately looked.  I drew two large circles around my son's eyes and then filled them in.  In hindsight, I should have made the circles even larger than I did.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

I had requested this costume in a size Medium and the body and sleeves fit pretty well.  It does have enough room for our son to grow a little and still be able to use this costume next year.  The mask, however, was a little roomy.  Since our son's head did not fill the mask completely, it did not always keep its shape and it shifted once in awhile.  When centered properly, our son said that he could see just fine.

The mask is part rubber and part synthetic fur.  The werewolf's ears and face are made of molded rubber.  The maw was particularly cool to look at because the werewolf has sharp teeth and fangs along with a rubber tongue.  The werewolf's furry arms and chest are attached to the flannel shirt, which has a hem and sleeves that have been cut into strips for a torn look.

Overall, our son said the costume was comfortable to wear, aside from the tag being a little itchy.  In the fall, we can easily layer a shirt underneath the costume.  He also thought that the mask was a little too scary, but he still thought it was cool and wanted to wear it.  The mask did get a little warm, but not so much that our son complained or wanted to take it off.  The mask also shed a few small clumps of fur, but it was not continuous shedding.  I did not have any problems with the arms or chest shedding, even when I had to fluff the fur up with my hands.

This costume sells on  BuyCostumes.com  for $36.99 and the Black Makeup Stick for $1.49.  To see more fun costumes for children and adults, visit www.BuyCostumes.com, where you can received Free Shipping on a purchase over $49 when you checkout using Code: SHIP49.


Thank you to BuyCostumes.com for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Wear A Princess Merida Costume to See Disney Pixar's BRAVE at the Theater

Last week, we had the pleasure of attending an advanced screening of Disney Pixar BRAVE.  As if our children were not excited enough to see this film, our daughter had even more reason to look forward to this event.  About a week prior, she received the JAKKS Pacific Merida's Scottish Princess Dress, the Merida Jewelry Set, and Merida's Wig.  The timing worked out perfectly for her to wear the Princess Merida costume to the theater.

Our daughter has straight dark brown hair.  Unless your child is a natural redhead, then I highly recommend purchasing the wig to go with the costume since it is one of Merida's signatures.  When I first took the wig out of the package and the protective netting, I thought that it looked very unnatural.  After I brushed it out a little, however, the curls softened and looked much more natural.  I have to say that I think our daughter enjoyed having a head full of curls.  She wore the wig for hours, as we traveled to Boston, walked to the theater, and sat through the movie.  Aside from itching her now and then, she said it was comfortable to wear.  On the way home from the movie, she did take the wig off, but then she asked if we could dye her hair red.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

I am extremely pleased that the rest of the costume seemed to be as comfortable for our daughter to wear as the wig.  The dress is recommended for girls sizes 4 to 6x.  Our daughter takes a 5/6 and I found that the dress fit her perfectly.  The waist, which is elasticized in the back, hit at just the right place on her.

The jewelry set comes with a pair of clip-on earrings that glow in the dark.  They were also comfortable for our daughter to wear the whole time.  She is so sad that she lost one while skipping back to the car through the streets of Boston.  The tiara has one comb on each end that stayed put well in the thick wig.  I did not need to use any pins to hold the tiara in place, but I did use some hairspray on the wig to help tame the wild curls a bit.  The necklace was the only thing I needed to alter.  The length just happened to make the pendant hit exactly where the brooch is on the dress.  To shorten it to a choker length, I simply tied one knot on each end near the clasps.  The wig hid the knots completely from view.

We had a Batgirl and a witch costume already on deck for Halloween, but I think our daughter would like to dress up as Merida again.  The dress is the perfect length for her to wear a pair of capri leggings underneath for the cooler October weather.

In addition to the Merida Princess Dress (Retail $19.99), Wig (Retail $14.99), and Jewelry Set (Retail $9.99), you can also find the JAAKS Pacific Merida's Adventure Dress and the Bow and Arrow Set at your local Toys"R"Us and Target stores.


Thank you to JAKKS Pacific for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.

Clone Wars ARF Trooper . . . Our Son's Star Wars Costume of Choice for Halloween

I have watched all the Star Wars films (including Clone Wars) and have shopped for Star Wars toys more times than I can count, but somehow the existence of the ARF Trooper has eluded me.  Apparently, ARF Troopers or "Advance Recon Fighters" are stealthy Clone Troopers who act as scouts and carry out surprise attack missions.  You learn something new everyday . . .

The topic of the ARF Trooper arose when I asked our 8 year old son what he was thinking about being for Halloween this year.  At first he was sure he wanted to be a ninja, but then while we were browsing the Star Wars costumes on Wholesale Star Wars Costume Club, he saw the Kids Deluxe ARF Trooper Costume and was overcome with excitement.  He passed over a Darth Vader, a Luke Skywalker, an Obi Wan, and even a Darth Maul costume (which was pretty darn cool looking) for this one.  I was doubtful at first, but when I saw the costume in person, I had to admit that he made a good choice.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Last year, our son just fit his size Medium costume, so I opted for a size Large this year.  I was nervous about it being too large, but it actually worked out well.  The sleeves were the perfect length for his arms, but the rest was several inches too long for him.  Although it is difficult to see in my photo, the costume consists of foam pieced armor, so it is important that the armor hits at the right places around his hips, knees, and ankles.  This was fixed very easily though.  I simply belted the costume using one of my son's regular belts and bloused the excess fabric out over the belt.  The belt is completely hidden under the fabric and the breastplate.

The utility belt that came with the costume was also large for our lean son.  It is foam around the front and sides, but is a stretchy fabric in the back where the two ends tie together.  At the tightest, the belt would still slide down.  How I fixed this was to cross the belt in the back and brought the ends around to the front.  I tied the ends together and tucked the knot under the foam part of the belt.  This seem to work out great and it is not noticeable at all.

The part of this costume my son was most excited about was the helmet.  It is made of light plastic, but is a full helmet that covers the head completely.  It was also slightly large on him, but not so much that it would tip and look very crooked.  He did, however, become hot very easily.  I suspect this is due to the holes being far lower than where his nose and mouth are located.  Hopefully, the October weather will be cool and crisp, so this will not be an issue.

Overall, I am very pleased with this costume.  We added our own toy blaster and I have ordered a pair of Rubies Clone Trooper gloves to complete the look.  The Wholesale Costume Club price for this costume is just $24.96, while it retails for $49.98.

Thank you to Wholesale Costume Club for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.